Treatment with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), however, is associated with a worsening of sexual function in the same population.

The researchers, led by R. Charles Welliver, Jr., MD, of SIU Healthcare in Springfield, Ill., analyzed data from the Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms (MTOPS) study, a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine time to BPH progression. Using the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BMSFI), they studied 2,783 men who participated both at baseline and follow-up.

“Overall, men's sexual health declined over the study period,” the researchers stated in a study abstract. Men who were taking 5ARIs had a worsening of ejaculatory function.

The investigators observed no significant differences between doxazosin and placebo in any of the BMSFI domains and found no significant changes in libido between the two groups.

“Physicians should discuss the possible long-term negative effects of drug treatment for LUTS on sexual function with their patients to better inform their decision-making on treatment,” the researchers concluded.